NEWPORT (Shropshire): Horns B need to lose their last game of the Newport Pool League season by a comfortable margin and NRBL A have to take a convincing victory if the Gnosall side are to be deprived of their maiden league title next Wednesday night.

Horns B cruised to a 6-0 home win over Knighton’s Haberdashers Arms on a night when their main rivals overcame King’s Head A, 2-4. George Allen, Mick Manning, Colin Pink and Neil Dale won the singles frames for the home side and Dean Smith joined Dale in the final frame to seal the rout for the rampant Horns.

LSC at the Tav remain on track for third place after beating the Wheatsheaf in Upper Bar, although rivals NRBL B also secured a 2-4 win at Junction A after being 2-0 down and third will be settled on the final night of the season.

Hyla Marklew and Sion Richards put the Norbury side in the driving seat before Mike Jones and George Haveron redressed the balance for the visitors. Jack Jones joined the fray in rack five and the Legion side sealed the match in rack six.

King’s Head A remain fifth on frame difference despite the Sutherland Arms beating Shakespeare B, 2-4, at Upper Bar. Jack Hooper and Ian Swinnerton got the better of Russ Woodhouse and Jess Hilditch to make it 0-2, but Darren Lowe beat Matt Mansell before Trevor Smith saw off Kim Rigby to make it 1-3. Woodhouse and Hilditch took the match outcome to a sixth frame only for Smith and Swinnerton to seal the win for the villagers.

Mercifully, the Barley Mow is moving to the Royal Navy Club next season, but they finished their home campaign with a 4-2 victory over Shakespeare A on a farcical home cloth. Billy Holland, Ray Talbot, Ant Winfield and Gary Bolton sealed the two points in the singles, but the disillusioned visitors won both doubles frames to give the farce an element of respectability.

Railway Tavern faced a tricky away clash at the Navigation and needed two points to remain on course for the inaugural Newport Plate Trophy. But they fell foul of the Gnosall side and now trail closest rivals, Junction B, by a point in the chase for the trophy.

Junction B beat King’s Head B by the odd frame and now take a one-point Trophy lead and inferior frame difference into the final week of the season. The Royal Navy Club got the better of Horns A by the odd frame in the final match of the evening.